Book Review: Pendergast: The Beginning" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

 

It only took six months for the life of Special Agent Dwight Chambers to crumble around him. First, he lost his partner, and then, tragically, his wife. Returning to work at the New Orleans Field Office, Chambers is dismayed to find himself saddled with mentoring a brand new FBI agent—a certain A. X. L. Pendergast. As Chambers tries to pull himself together, his enigmatic and exasperating junior partner pulls an outrageous stunt that gets both of them suspended.

Pendergast welcomes the banishment, because it gives him the opportunity to investigate a peculiar murder in Mississippi that has captured his fancy. Chambers grudgingly goes along. What starts off as a whimsical quest swiftly turns into a terrifying pursuit, as Chambers and Pendergast uncover a string of grisly, ritualistic killings that defy any known serial killer profile.
 
Thanks in large part to Pendergast’s brilliance and unorthodox methods, they solve the case and find the killer… and that is when the true horror begins. - from Netgalley.com  

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

Where to start with this one? Having read all prior 22 books in this series (in order) to finally get to read a prequel on our Special Agent was a true treat. Though in other books, there were bits and pieces of Pendergast's past, mostly scattered bits amongst the books, but this jumps right into what appears to be his first FBI assignment (and case).

To go back - what, twenty to thirty years - to a much younger, and supposedly inexperienced rookie agent of the FBI took some skill from the authors. I see Pendergast being a bit more "uppity" and not as well-adjusted and rounded, to dealing with people that just are not as intelligent as he is. And it was a whole book of it! Every page turn I wanted to see more of his past - the secret military-type organization that brought Proctor and himself together. Here this ties in how Proctor ends up working with/for Pendergast. But there is so much more I want to find out about this exceptional, unique character.

Kudos to Preston and Child on completing yet another great work that I very much enjoyed reading.

Book Review: "Robert B. Parker's Showdown" By Mike Lupica

 

Spenser may have uncovered an explosive secret that threatens the career of a controversial figure, in this latest installment of Robert B. Parker’s beloved series.

Vic Hale isn’t anyone’s idea of a father figure. He is one of the biggest – and loudest -- podcasters in the nation and got there by spewing overheated rhetoric that’s reviled by some but loved by even more. His particular brand of “entertainment” is so successful, he’s about to sign the biggest contract in the history of online broadcasting. Vic’s riding high...until he gets a visit from Spenser, who specializes in bringing guys like Hale back down to Earth.

Spenser is there on behalf of Daniel Lopez, a young man who believes Hale may be his father. It’s a potentially explosive revelation for a man in the podcaster’s position and it might even be enough to blow up his massive new deal.  That could explain the bodies that start popping up – bodies connected in one way or another with the mystery surrounding Daniel’s birth. There are a lot of questions remaining, and Spenser’s going to have to find the answers before someone shuts Hale or Daniel up for good. - from Netgalley.com 

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

'Spenser' was a great television show back in the day, and I have really enjoyed the whole book series. Lupica has done a great job of 'channeling Robert B. Parker's writing style and story-telling skill as he revisits the world of Spenser.

Not sure how much longer we can keep Spenser going along. Story-wise, he isn't getting much younger. There have been a couple spin-offs (Jesse Stone, and Sunny Randall), but when it comes down to Spenser, it will be a hard loss when the series does end.

Book Review" Badlands" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

 

The #1 New York Times bestselling authors Preston & Child return with a thrilling tale in which archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, while investigating bizarre deaths in the desert, awaken an ancient evil more terrifying than anything they’ve faced before.

In the New Mexico badlands, the skeleton of a woman is found—and the case is assigned to FBI Agent Corrie Swanson. The victim walked into the desert, shedding clothes as she went, and died in agony of heatstroke and thirst. Two rare artifacts are found clutched in her bony hands—lightning stones used by the ancient Chaco people to summon the gods. 

Is it suicide or… sacrifice? 

Agent Swanson brings in archaeologist Nora Kelly to investigate. When a second body is found—exactly like the other—the two realize the case runs deeper than they imagined. As Corrie and Nora pursue their investigation into remote canyons, haunted ruins, and long-lost rituals, they find themselves confronting a dark power that, disturbed from its long slumber, threatens to exact an unspeakable price. - from Netgalley.com

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

We return again to the world of Nora Kelly and SA Corrie Swanson, as they "partner up" again to solve a crime. This time it is in the badlands of New Mexico. Obviously it involves ancient Indian rites/customs, but for the non-informed you do learn a little bit about ancient Indian cultures, and even a bit about the Navajos. 

This is the fifth book in the Nora Kelly series, and I am not sure how much further the authors will go with it. I'm guessing it may increase since the Pendergast series seems to be faltering. Overall it was still a good read.

Book Review: "Nemesis" by Patricia Wolf

 

A DANGEROUS CHASE. A SADISTIC KILLER.

DS Lucas Walker is on assignment for the AFP, and it couldn't be more personal. This is his last chance to take down Stefan Markovich - the Vandals leader who tried to have him killed after Walker uncovered his drug operation, and has evaded justice for years.

Having tracked Markovich to Berlin, Walker heads to Germany to lure his nemesis out of hiding and into custody. And there is another draw for Walker in Berlin: he finally gets to see Barbara again.

Still dealing with the trauma of her sister's ordeal in outback Australia, Barbara is working her own case - a suspicious death that casts a dark shadow over a peaceful lake colony. Everything about the horrific scene tells Barbara it's murder, and when a second body emerges she realises she is hunting a killer who is watching their victims die in agony.

As Walker and Barbara grapple with their cases, they must also face their feelings for each other - amid the constant threats of the world they inhabit - from Netgalley.com

This eARC was received from Netgalley.com, and I am providing an unbiased review.

This is the fourth book in the DS Walker series, and there is a bit of a twist. Walker is working on doing a transfer within the force, but before he can work it all out, he receives information on the Vandals leader he has been searching for. Turns out he is in Germany, and whilst working out a deal between his current boss, and the new one, Walker manages to get a trip to Germany to assist with the capture of the Vandals leader. This brings in to play the lady Barbara, whom he had happened to help locate her sister in a previous book.

Though the romance seems to go no where throughout the story, it moves along. The German police don't seem to want to assist, Barbara (also an officer) is working her own murder case, and somehow it gets to where they are sharing the details with each other as if with only Walker's help could she solve it.

Truthfully, I enjoyed there being another DS Walker book, but this one seemed pretty boring. I felt it just stagnated and the ending was not as impressive as it may have been. Still would like to see if this series could go farther, now that Walker has transferred depts.

Book Review: "South of Nowhere" by Jeffrey Deaver

 

The New York Times bestselling master of suspense returns to his beloved series, adapted for TV (CBS's Tracker, starring Justin Hartley) as reward seeker Colter Shaw races against the clock to save a flooding town from a full-fledged disaster, where the culprit lurks in the plain sight.

When a levee collapses in Hinowah, a small town in Northern California, Colter Shaw is brought on by his sister, Dorion, a disaster response specialist, to help locate a family swept away by the raging water, with mere hours to survive. 

But after a surprise attack along the river obstructs Colter's urgent search, the siblings are forced to consider a new reality: Is the levee at risk of failing from natural causes, or is someone sabotaging it? Colter and Dorion must race against a ticking clock to uncover the truth and save the citizens before the village washes out completely, destroying everything and everyone in its path. - from Netgalley.com

This eARC came from Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.

This is basically the fifth book in the Colter Shaw series, that was adapted to television as "Tracker". Our MC Colter Shaw is back, and in this part of the tale, he is called in to working with his sister at the site of a levee failure, to help locate a family that was washed off the levee. As time runs out on being able to save this family, things start happening to make the Shaws question a possible evil intent - that the levee was sabotaged and someone wants to destroy the town and surrounding areas.

In the previous books, and yes, even the television show, I have come to like Colter Shaw, as I have Lincoln Rhyme, from other novels by Deaver. There is usually a very realistic spin on events that are occurring in his stories, and is generally quite a nice read. However, I felt a bit lost with this one. The storyline stayed consistent, and realistic, but it just felt too ... fake, I guess, to me. The level of political power, etc, that Shaw over-stepped in solving the issues was just a bit too much for my belief.

Book Review: "Robert B. Parker's Buried Secrets" by Christopher Farnsworth

 Police Chief Jesse Stone investigates the mystery behind a dead body found strewn with photos of murder victims and placed on top of $2 million in cash, before a mob of hit men converge on Paradise.

Just another day in Paradise . . . 

Chief of Police Jesse Stone is on his way home from a long shift when a call comes in for a welfare check on an elderly resident of the wealthy seaside town of Paradise, Massachusetts. Inside a house packed with junk and trash is a man’s dead body. It’s a sad, lonely end, but nothing criminal . . . until Jesse finds the photos of murder victims strewn around the corpse, on top of a treasure trove of $2 million in cash.

Jesse takes on the case and finds a trail leading to an aging mobster who will do whatever it takes to keep the past from coming to light. Before long, Jesse has a price on his head as hit men converge on Paradise to take back the cash and destroy any remaining evidence. But the real danger might be coming from inside his own department. Jesse Stone must unearth the truth buried under the wreckage of a dead man’s life . . . before he winds up in the ground himself. - from Netgalley.com

This eARC was received through Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.

By my reckoning, and help from some other book sites on the interwebz, this is the 22nd novel in the Jesse Stone series originally started by Robert B Parker. Once again we are following along in the steps of the Paradise, Mass., police chief Jesse Stone as another crime happens in the peaceful town. If you have read previous novels in this series, and have been able to catch at least one of the several movies made from the books (featuring Tom Selleck) you will more than understand how I picture our MC to look.

This is Farnsworth's first endeavor into the realm of Robert B Parker novels (Spenser, Sunny Randall, Jesse Stone) and he does what I consider a very fine job of doing so. I found the writing style similar to previous novels (by other authors, and Parker himself) and the story moved along at the pace that Parker intended all his stories to go (in my opinion). I really liked how he brought into play the issue regarding 'hoarding', as it seems to occur more often these days, or at least we hear more of it happening. I also liked how he brought up issues with the main character himself, and fears he might be facing (spoiler: being old and alone and dying but no one would notice).

I definitely enjoyed this read, and another trip into the world of Jesse Stone, and I think Farnsworth has done a wonderful job with his first novel into this realm.

Book Review: "Opal" by Patricia Wolf

 

A small mining town. A brutal double murder. A killer among them.

DS Lucas Walker is off duty. He's supposed to be showing his little sister Grace the Australian outback, on her visit from Boston, but instead they're headed out bush- where Walker's cousin has been mining for boulder opal. Something seemed off when Walker heard that Blair wanted to get out of Kanpara, so he and Grace are en route to bring him home to Caloodie.

But Kanpara is in Channel Country, and a major flood is on the way.

The atmosphere in the isolated mining town is already tense with rumours of a big opal find, and when Walker, Grace and Blair wake up the next day they find themselves completely cut off. A deluge far north has run off into the rivers that make up this unique ecosystem, and the roads will be impassable for days. As they take in their predicament, Blair receives a shocking phone call.

Two bodies have been found, brutally murdered.

The husband is an immediate suspect, but Walker is not convinced. And when Blair is taken in for questioning, the stakes couldn't be higher. Before the water recedes, he must work with local police to uncover the killer in their midst. Can Walker act fast enough to save his cousin, and keep Grace safe? - from Netgalley.com

This eARC was received through Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.

This is the third novel in the DS Walker series, and once again has proven that Wolf has a great story-telling presence. This book starts not too long after the end of the second novel, and finds our MC not only trying to still find the biker leader of previous crimes, but now on a vacation with his visiting little sister from the US. From the synopsis, you can see where this goes from there....

I have been lucky enough to read all three novels of this series, and I anxiously await each one, hoping that this series doesn't just end after a "few books". Not knowing anything about Australia, it's policing system, geography, et cetera, Wolf does a wonderful job of describing ther world detail in a way even a non-resident will enjoy the read.

Book Review: "Robert B Parker's Hot Property" by Mike Lupica

 

Spenser investigates a case that hits far too close to home for his comfort in this latest installment of Robert B. Parker's beloved series.

Spenser is waiting out the latest Boston snow storm when he gets word that Rita Fiore's been shot. Rita's always been a tricky one: nudging Spenser for years, she's an ever-present figure that transcends friendship in Spenser's circle. Like many of them, at the end of the day, Rita is family. And family will always be protected.

Both a pit bull in the courtroom and provocateur outside it, though, Rita is no stranger to controversy. But as one of the city's toughest lawyers, Spenser knows that there's no short list of suspects who might want to enact revenge. With Rita's life hanging in the balance, it's up to him to get to the bottom of things, even if it means unearthing some savory secrets. -from Netgalley.com

This eARC was given to me by Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.

Where do I start with this one? Well, if you remember from the 1980's, there was a television show called Spenser For Hire starring Robert Urich as a private detective in Boston named Spenser. I did not know then, this was based on the first books Robert Parker had put out, but I grew up loving that show. As an adult, I went back and through the library read pretty much the whole series, and some off-shoots as well. This is around/about book 52 in the Spenser series, with the last dozen (guessing) written by a few different authors.

I always love getting back into the character lives of a large series like this one. I have written a few reviews on other books by Lupica, including a Spenser book or two. He has well-mastered the writing style Parker had created and used for his stories, and it just helps (in my mind) how I play the story out in my imagination as I read it. One of the things I really liked about this story, is the connection to many of the other series that Parker had created (Jesse Stone, Sunny Randall). Both of those characters either made an appearance, or were mentioned, at some point in the tale. This series has always been one of my favorites, and would like to see more, but not sure where the story can go after this many books.

Book Review: "The Mountain Mystic" by Russell W. Johnson

 

Since succeeding her dearly departed husband, Bill, to become Jasper County’s first female sheriff, Mary Beth Cain has closed more cases than any three of her male predecessors combined. But nobody bats a thousand in the cop game. Nobody. And, ovaries aside, Mary Beth knows she’s no different. There’d been a handful of unsolveds during her tenure, victims and families denied their justice, and each and every one of them gnaws at her soul. She thinks about them late at night as she sips her whiskey, counting regrets like sheep.

But the case that haunts Mary Beth most is one that went cold before she was even on the force: the long-ago disappearance of a family friend, named Maria Ruiz. So when a country psychic’s vision leads to the discovery of Maria’s body, Mary Beth isn’t willing to chalk it up as genuine clairvoyance and goes all in on an investigation that cuts close to home. - from Netgalley.com 

This eARC was received from Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.

This is a second book following the story of Sheriff Mary Beth Cain of Jasper County, Kentucky. This could be read as a stand-alone, but I always feel better recommending reading in order, though it is not really listed as a series.

I enjoyed the perspective of writing about a female sheriff in a crime-ridden area of 'backwoods Kentucky'. Our MC having family ties to the alleged KY Mafia, and just her own mother being a 'crime boss' says a lot about integrity when it comes to law enforcement work. Granted Mary Beth's way isn't always straight legal either. Storyline is easy to follow, even as it references events that happened years before the current story. Reads as a possible realistic story and comes to a nice conclusion. Would like to see more books like this one.

Book Review: "The Gathering" by C. J. Tudor

 

A detective investigating a grisly crime in rural Alaska finds herself caught up in the dark secrets and superstitions of a small town in this riveting novel from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man.

In a small Alaska town, a boy is found with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body. The inhabitants of Deadhart haven’t seen a killing like this in twenty-five years. But they know who’s responsible: a member of the Colony, an ostracized community of vampyrs living in an old mine settlement deep in the woods.

Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr killings, is called in to officially determine if this is a Colony killing—and authorize a cull. Old suspicions die hard in a town like Deadhart, but Barbara isn’t so sure. Determined to find the truth, she enlists the help of a former Deadhart sheriff, Jenson Tucker, whose investigation into the previous murder almost cost him his life. Since then, Tucker has become a recluse. But he knows the Colony better than almost anyone.

As the pair delve into the town’s history, they uncover secrets darker than they could have imagined. And then another body is found. While the snow thickens and the nights grow longer, a killer stalks Deadhart, and two disparate communities circle each other for blood. Time is running out for Atkins and Tucker to find the truth: Are they hunting a bloodthirsty monster . . . or a twisted psychopath? And which is more dangerous? - from Netgalley.com

This ARC was received through Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.

Imagine a world where Vampires existed alongside humans, but were in colonies, and seemingly hated by the human race. Through in a murder every 25 years or so, and you get this tale of mystery. I found the story to be mildly entertaining, and the plot twists kept my attention that I was able to read the book in a  couple days. Tudor has a way of making a mystery feel real, even in a fictional setting.

Book Review: "The Moonshine Messiah" by Russell W Johnson

 

As if being a woman sheriff in the West Virginia coal fields wasn’t tough enough, Mary Beth Cain’s life is complicated by the fact that the local hillbilly crime syndicate is run by her mother, Mamie. It’s an association that, along with Mary Beth’s head-busting ways, has her staring down a corruption investigation when she gets a surprise visit from Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Connelly.

Twenty years earlier, Patrick was Mary Beth’s high school sweetheart, but they broke up because Mary Beth couldn’t cut the loose ties she maintains with her villainous family. Now Patrick’s worked out a deal to wipe Mary Beth’s slate clean if she’ll just do one thing: arrest her brother, Sawyer, who is the cult leader of a booming anti-government militia that’s been giving the Feds headaches.

It’s an offer Mary Beth refuses until Sawyer’s followers blow up a federal courthouse and G-men start swarming into town, preparing for a siege of the commando’s compound. Suddenly Mary Beth is tasked with trying to head off a bloody, Waco-style massacre and the question isn’t whether she should arrest her brother, but if she can do it in time. - from Netgalley.com

I received this eARC from Netgalley.com and am providing an unbiased review.

This story was a bit of a hidden gem that I found (my thought anyways) in the Netgalley gallery. After reading it, I had to look up the author and see if there were any other works he has completed. Unfortunately, the sources I used showed only this one story, and what a story it was! The writing style reminds me of Craig Johnson (Walt Longmire series) telling a tale about a sheriff in the backwoods of West Virginia. Not a big thing, unless you throw in family ties to a 'mountain mafia', and a few rumors of the sheriff using those connections.

Either way, the story is very well told, and I felt like I was 'in the action' as I read it. I also found it quite hard to put down the one night I had to do so. Character backgrounds were good, and the world building was on-spot for what I imagine those small towns and area would be for WV. There were a couple misdirects in the story that caught me, and making the ending come out better than what I thought would happen. Definitely would read more from this author, and almost would like this to become a series if there is somewhere for the stories to go.

Book Review: "Paradise" by Patricia Wolf

 As DS Lucas Walker recovers from his injuries, he heads from Caloodie, Queensland, to the Gold Coast. Surfer's Paradise: a seaside city where gleaming high rises fringe sparkling surf beaches, sunny days lead to wild nights, and criminals and bikie gangs mingle with tourists and dignitaries at five star hotels, clubs and casinos.

Before long, Walker is part of a team trying to solve a horrific home invasion and murder that has claimed the life of a young mother and left her nine-year-old daughter fighting to survive. Can he help them find the perpetrators, and keep the young girl safe? Meanwhile, Vandals head honcho Stefan Markovich is in town - and Walker once again finds himself on a dangerous collision course with the drug gang.

Weak from his injuries, and grieving, can Walker solve a case that is more shocking than anyone expected, and survive the dark underbelly of Australia's Surfer's Paradise?

Don't miss the next instalment in the tense and gripping DS Lucas Walker series. For fans of THE DRY by Jane Harper, Cara Hunter and Chris Whitaker. - from Netgalley.com

I received this eARC from Netgalley.com and am providing an unbiased review.

This is the second book from this author to follow the tale of DS Lucas Walker, and takes place just a short period after the first. He is sent off to the Gold Coast on a 'desk job' type assignment to provide some further training for the local police force there, while recovering from his injuries incurred in the first book. While there, he comes across some other characters from the first book, that relate back to the drug case that got him injured. Also, he hears some stories about the father he didn't know so well, and his father's best friend.

I have really enjoyed both books in this series, and look forward to Wolf continuing the tale of DS Walker in future installments. Being based in Australia, and me knowing pretty much nothing about the places there, it is nice to learn some of the local language ('Yeah, nah') and scenery. Most of the police procedure seems pretty common amongst all countries, but there are still some differences. Good realistic story and writing.